Not many people have a lot of money to throw around these days, so how is the recession affecting ad spending on the super-expensive Super Bowl?
Even after NBC lowered its ad prices, reports the Associated Press, FedEx and General Motors pulled their TV commercials, and Playboy isn’t having its annual Super Bowl party.
A 30-second Super Bowl commercial can cost $3 million. Worse yet, a new study by Stephen Blessing, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Tampa, challenges the effectiveness of such ads. After questioning Super Bowl viewers from past years, he found that:
While an advertisement may be particularly funny or strike some other emotional chord, viewers frequently misidentified the exact product that each ad was promoting, or the specific brand.
Maybe G.M. should try the same ad strategy as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): get your commercial banned from the Super Bowl. PETA made a sexually explicit commercial that NBC wasn’t comfortable with — one that, just maybe, PETA knew NBC wouldn’t be comfortable with? — and got lots of press without having to actually run the ad.
The PETA commercial claims that vegetarians have better sex. It doesn’t fit NBC’s standards, nor does it fit The Times‘s; but here’s Whoopi Goldberg‘s PG-rated reenactment on the The View:
and 
. You can also watch it on 
cash4gold.com bought an Ad what does this say about the price of Gold. Someone is willing to spend 3million to let people know he will buy gold from them?
Overweight ignorant women who have no clue about a healthy diet…
I would rather my kid watch the PETA commercial than those four clowns.
I didnt see one ad that really got me last night
frisbeepainting.com
“If you want to know how he [Rourke] gave one of his chihuahuas mouth-to-mouth resusitation for 45 minutes…”
Um, no, I don’t think I do.
On the other hand, the idea of it admittedly does bring up the amusing image of inflating the little doggy like a bug-eyed balloon.
I think that PETA producing a bound-to-be-banned ad may work in its favor, but not every company can follow this edgy online marketing strategy. The post’s suggestion that maybe companies like Coca Cola or G.M., which appeal to households and more wholesome consumers, should follow PETA’s direction is completely unsuitable. Traditional corporations can risk losing their respectable image and consumer trust.
PETA is known for provocative messages such as the “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign and the many graphic videos of animals being skinned. PETA lives off the publicity generated by their controversial efforts. The edgy positioning they created for themselves complements their extreme view on animal-treatment.
PETA’s vegetable ad is a great example of viral marketing can help a company extend its reach while still remaining true to its identity. Viral marketing works best for companies that want to be controversial, counter-cultural, and a little bit underground. But for the vast majority of companies, conventional marketing, like print and the Superbowl, is a more effective way to reach their audience.
Regardless of whether internet use has grown in a company’s target market, a company’s advertising should reflect the image it wants to project in both message and media. A little publicity is not worth ruining a company image that took years to build.
“nor does it fit The Times’s” er, I just watched the original ad under the Times’s masthead by clicking a related video at the end of the video you embedded. Is that a problem?
Also, it’s hard to get over what isn’t allowed on American TV.
I viewed the PETA ad and my first reaction was not “erotic” or “racy” or “provocative,” but “dumb.” By that standard the PETA spot would have fit right in with the other uninspired commercials.
I found the Cash4Gold advert, which did air, to be more offensive and certainly more misleading as well.
Fortunately the game was exciting…
PETA’s campaigns and commercials are racy, bold and at times sexy… it says that a healthy mind has a healthy body… and eating food with a face just makes you what you eat… seems like the people st NBC have become just that and have proved it by banning the ad. Uh oh… I hear cows and goats protesting …they don’t want to be in the same league as the NBC converts!!!